A profession is a participle: faaʿil, the one who does
Almost every profession here is a participle, not a "ready word". A root is taken, usually of three letters, and between the first and the second letter an "aa" is inserted. "K-t-b" → kaatib — writing; "z-r-ʿ" → muzariʿ — sowing; "kh-b-z" → khabbaaz — the bread man. The English "-er" and the pattern faaʿil do the same thing: they name a person by his deed. For example: “أخي ميكانيكي، وأختي موظفة في المصرف” — My…
How it works
Almost every profession here is a participle, not a "ready word". A root is taken, usually of three letters, and between the first and the second letter an "aa" is inserted. "K-t-b" → kaatib — writing; "z-r-ʿ" → muzariʿ — sowing; "kh-b-z" → khabbaaz — the bread man. The English "-er" and the pattern faaʿil do the same thing: they name a person by his deed.
If the middle letter of the root is doubled, the sound is louder and the work is "mass". "Naj-jaar" — a carpenter; "khay-yaat" — a tailor; "sab-baak" — a plumber. This is the shape faʿʿaal — a sure sign of a craft. Meeting a doubled middle letter in the name of a person, you are almost surely facing a master.
The feminine is "a" at the end: muzariʿ → muzariʿa, mughannii → mughanniyya. The question about a profession has no verb: "maa hiya?" — "what is she?"; "ana tabiib" — "I am a doctor".
Table
| root | sense of the root | profession | reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| ز-ر-ع | to sow | مزارع | muzariʿ — farmer |
| ك-ت-ب | to write | كاتب | kaatib — writer |
| خ-ب-ز | bread | خبّاز | khabbaaz — baker |
| ن-ج-ر | to hew wood | نجّار | najjaar — carpenter |
| ص-ل-ح | to mend | مصلح | muslih — repairman |
| رس-م | to draw | رسّام | rassaam — painter |
By example
- أخي ميكانيكي، وأختي موظفة في المصرفахии микаанийикий, ва-ухтии муаззафа фи аль-масрифMy brother is a mechanic, and my sister works at a bank
- المزارع يبدأ عمله قبل الشمسаль-музариʿ йябдаʾ ʿамальху габля аш-шамсThe farmer begins the work before the sun
- ما حِرْفَتُك؟ أنا نجّارма хирфатук? ана наджжаарWhat is your craft? I am a carpenter
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Profession names in Arabic?
If the middle letter of the root is doubled, the sound is louder and the work is "mass". "Naj-jaar" — a carpenter; "khay-yaat" — a tailor; "sab-baak" — a plumber. This is the shape faʿʿaal — a sure sign of a craft. Meeting a doubled middle letter in the name of a person, you are almost surely…
The active participle faail in Arabic?
Almost every profession here is a participle, not a "ready word". A root is taken, usually of three letters, and between the first and the second letter an "aa" is inserted. "K-t-b" → kaatib — writing; "z-r-ʿ" → muzariʿ — sowing; "kh-b-z" → khabbaaz — the bread man. The English "-er" and the…
How to say what is your job in Arabic?
If the middle letter of the root is doubled, the sound is louder and the work is "mass". "Naj-jaar" — a carpenter; "khay-yaat" — a tailor; "sab-baak" — a plumber. This is the shape faʿʿaal — a sure sign of a craft. Meeting a doubled middle letter in the name of a person, you are almost surely…
Doubled middle letter trades in Arabic?
If the middle letter of the root is doubled, the sound is louder and the work is "mass". "Naj-jaar" — a carpenter; "khay-yaat" — a tailor; "sab-baak" — a plumber. This is the shape faʿʿaal — a sure sign of a craft. Meeting a doubled middle letter in the name of a person, you are almost surely…
What does it look like in a Arabic example sentence?
“أخي ميكانيكي، وأختي موظفة في المصرف” (ахии микаанийикий, ва-ухтии муаззафа фи аль-масриф) — My brother is a mechanic, and my sister works at a bank. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.